Cuchulain Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 (edited) I have a good relationship with my 15-month-old Ridgeback, Max. He has slept on my bed since he was about 7 months old (I got a bigger bed ) and I have, to my mind, no problems with him. Night before last I saw he was not himself. His ears were 'down' - like when he's afraid or unsure of himself, he was restless, his tail was between his legs and he spent the night on the floor next to the bed. In the morning he refused his breakfast and was very clingy. We had an appointment at the vet for his annual vaccinations at 09:00 and when we got there I explained to the vet that I was concerned about Max. The vet could find nothing wrong and said to just keep an eye on him. He did the vaccs and we came home. Max was very lethargic and spent most of the day on his bed in the dining room which is most unusual. He normally follows me to the workshop and seldom leaves my side. I was quite worried by the end of the afternoon and SMS'd his breeder to ask advice. I'm not good and SMS'ing and eventually after a couple of backwards and forwards messages, I got one I couldn't understand (other than that she was so angry with me that she was incoherent in her SMS ) so I called her. Long story short is that I have totally f$cked up the dog by allowing him to sleep on my bed ... there were some other upsetting comments made which I won't repeat here. For the record, Max is back to normal this morning, playing and just being Max I am a first-time dog-owner and I tend to panic when something is not right. I do not yet have the confidence to "just leave things and see what happens" and I worry when things are not right. Have I really screwed up my dog by letting him sleep on the bed? Edited December 4, 2010 by Cuchulain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothieGirl Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Sleeping on your bed is personal choice as far as I'm concerned. My girl has slept on the bed since she was about 9mths. That being said, if I get wriggly she will hop off and put herself in her crate. I don't have any issues with dominance or anything, to me it comes down the dog's personality and your strength of position as pack leader. To be honest I don't think my dog and I really developed the bond we have now until I started letting her sleep on the bed. I've also heard (perhaps incorrectly) that many assistance dogs sleep on their companions bed to help develop the bond. At the end of the day, IMO, it still comes down to clear and consistent training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 What is the correlation between him not feeling well and him sleeping on the bed? Will he get off the bed when you tell him to? Will he move over when you tell him to? Do you have any other issues with him not listening to you or challenging you? If not, I personally see no problems with a dog sleeping on the bed. If you do have issues, that may be a different matter though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 In a word... 'No'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsKatie Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Our last dogs slept on the bed occasionally - usually when OH was on nights the Heelerx would make herself at home - no issues. The current 2 are crated just because it is easier then trying to share a bed with them. I agree with espinay2 - I am not a proffesional but this seems to make sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Flying Furball Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 What is the correlation between him not feeling well and him sleeping on the bed?Will he get off the bed when you tell him to? Will he move over when you tell him to? Do you have any other issues with him not listening to you or challenging you? If not, I personally see no problems with a dog sleeping on the bed. If you do have issues, that may be a different matter though. Yes, I also don't see a correlation between him being unwell and behaving strange, and the bed issue??? Two separate things i would say. take the dog back to the vet to check again if that is what you need to do. I did that when I first got my dog and it helped me learn about when I need to go (maybe a bit of an expensive lesson but better than not, just in case!). I let my dog sleep on the bed and have good boundaries in place otherwise...no problem. I think the bed issue can be a divisive one and you will find people who do and don't. I think it is something to work out yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbesotted Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 teh breeder sounds somewhat foolish in the responses. Your dog sleeping on your bed is not a problem on the otherhand if fido is one the bed and refuses to allow you on the bed thenthat of course is a totally different situation Cheers H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vehs Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 I hope you find out what's wrong with your dog. My dog, who's pretty dominant, sleeps on my bed - but it's an invitation not an entitlement. He has to wait to be asked if he wants to come up. If bf stays over he doesn't even bother asking, and some weeks I'll have an expensive cover on the bed and he's not allowed up on those nights. He generally gets off the bed halfway through the night anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Unless you have pre existing dominance or aggression issues- personal choice IMO. Our dogs take it in turns but there is almost always at least one on the bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuchulain Posted December 4, 2010 Author Share Posted December 4, 2010 Thanks guys. Max will happily leave the bed if requested and I only have to ask once. Usually just pointing at the door without saying anything works but on a cold day I may have to actually say "off" as well. We are currently competing in obedience at beginner level and I don't think I have any leadership issues with Max. I thought he was ill, his behaviour was markedly different to normal and I was worried. As it turned out he was better by this morning and another vet visit wasn't necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymoo Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 hes your dog, do what you like in regards to his bed..what right does the breeder have to yell at you about this?? Sorry I am lost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cointreau Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 No you haven't ruined Max. It is a personal choice if your dog sleeps on your bed, obviously one your breeder doesn't agree with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 No you haven't. As a child growing up in England everyone I knew had an inside dog & when parents said off to bed with you kids the dog came with us. Dominance, social & bad behaviour & catching something nasty from the dog were seldom a problem. Your dog, your bed & I think you are very nice letting Max sleep on your bed. Nothing to so with his being unwell. Hope he is fine now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Being ill is nothing do to with your sleeping arrangements, I'd be more concerned with him being vaccinated while unwell, vet should really have waited a week until he was back to himself. Breeder sounds like they've reacted somewhat strangely if they've had the same info you've given us here. fifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karly101 Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 I don't think the bed is related to him being a little off.. am surprised they vaccinated if he wasn't his normal self. Always had the shepherd on the bed, he is very well behaved and with a command at any time during the night (ie. when he's taking up too much space or has been lying on my feet and I no longer have any feeling in them) and he simply hops off the bed. On hot nights he prefers to sleep on the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuchulain Posted December 4, 2010 Author Share Posted December 4, 2010 I was also surprised that the vet vaccinated him but he's fine today and I was obviously over-reacting... again <sigh> I get so worried when something is wrong but I can't tell if it's serious or not. Thanks for the support guys, I was really worried that I'd done something wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymoo Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Get him a pillow! lol My Missy loves a pillow! Just enjoy him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfthewords Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 What was with the breeder's reaction? Dogs have off days, it has nothing to do with whether or not they share your bed! Like others have said, as long as it is your invitation to him, there's no issue with sharing your bed. In a pack, dogs sleep near each other. I am house/dogsitting at the moment; my 2 are allowed on the bed and the two resident dogs sleep in the room across the hall in their own beds. Mostly because one of them is a clinger (), but that is their normal routine with me and they know they aren't allowed on the bed. Mischa is slightly possessive of her space with dogs who aren't Carl and for that I won't invite anyone else up. My dogs have shared my bed for years, there are zero leadership issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuchulain Posted December 4, 2010 Author Share Posted December 4, 2010 What was with the breeder's reaction? Dogs have off days, it has nothing to do with whether or not they share your bed! Maybe, like Max, she was having an off day? I dunno, but she really freaked me out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Yoshi- Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Our Maltese sleeps on the bed, well not anymore but occasionally he is allowed on, If I tell him "off" ! he will jump straight off and sleep on the floor. I think it's fine, personal choice as long as the dog doesn't take ownership of the bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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